bookman



Sept. 27; 1927. 5369 5. M. BOOKMAN REPEATING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHIG RECORDS Filed Oct. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENIOR 620243911! fioal'rnan A TTOBIIEYS Sept. 27,1927. 1,643,369

s. M., BOOKMAN REPEATING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDS Filed Oct. 25, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v jig INVENTOR A T TORNE Y8 Patented Sept. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY M. BOOKMAN, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

REPEATING DEVICE FOR PHONOGRAPHIC RECORDS.

Application filed October 25, 1922. Serial No. 596,813.

This invention relates to a repeating device for phonograplnc records. Indeveloprecords for causing the repetition of selections thereon; and especially the provision of a device which could readily be adapted for different sizes and kinds of records and which would not stick when the needle was passing over it. r V

Another object was to provide a repeater device which was light in construct on, to impede the speed of the record as little as 5 possible and yet which when operated would not be defective.

A further object of theinvention relates to the provision of a repeatin plate which bears effectively on a record but only on those portions not covered by the grooves with'the exception of a brush portion of the plate which is rovided to clean the grooves while the recor is moving.

A still further object resides in the provig5 sion of a plate provided with means to more effectively guide the needle into the outermost groove of the record without any liability of'the needle running otf the record or running across thegrooves to produce a aoscratch. a

Another object resides in the provision of a repeater. plate which along acertain part is sufficiently flexible when sub ectedto the weight of the needle and the tone arm to be depressed against the record temporaril. whereby the friction between the plate and the record is increased temporarily to insure the positive movement of the plate with the record, the flexibility of the plate, however, insuringtheimmediate removal of the contact and friction between the plate and the record when the weight'of the needle and the tone arm is removed from the plate.

The invention is illustrated in the drawin s, of which I igure 1 is a plan View of the preferred form of my invention. i c Fig. 2 is a section taken on the l1- Ile 22 of Fig. 1. p

Fig. 3 is an vice. V Fig. is a section taken on the line {L-Aof Fig. 1. m Fig. 5 is a section taken ofFig. 1.

on the s... 5-5

ofFig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line allob ectionable discordant noises produced Fig. 7 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. fi'showing the parts in position when the needleis riding on the device.

Fig. 8 is a partial plan view of a modified form of the repeater.

It is, of course, understood that the forms of the invention shown in the drawings are preferred forms and that the construction and arran ement of the parts andt-he character of t e material used can be varied wit-hin reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention concerns a fiat plate, preferably of some light material such asrubber, amber or celluloid, which is to be disposed on the record and provided with bearing portions to rest on the record. These bearing portions however, are formed, preferably, on the plate by molding or shaping it so that the bearing portions bear on the level portion of the record and the outer edges or margins of the record, namely, those 10 grooves therein, so that the weight of the plate is not borne by the grooves to injure portions which do not have the phonographisprovided with a cam slot adapted to swing the needle from the center of the record to the outermost groove, this slot being pro vided with the needle bearing surface. The f outerforward end of theplate is provided with aneedle guiding edge, so that the needle is positively and accurately fed into the exact part. of the record desired without any possibility of its having lateral 'inovement to jump jfrombne groove to another or off the record entirely whereby the grooves would be scratched. Preferably the part ofthe record upon which this guide member or edge directs the needle is the outer edge or portion which is not provided with grooves, so that as the needle drops off the flexible portion it will drop on to an ungrooved part inwardly, so that the force of this impact will be taken by a part of the record the injury of which will not be particularly harmful. The outerv end of the guidingedge will then steer therecord into c the outermost groove. inverted plan view of the de- The invention, furthermore, contemplates the provision of a repeater plate in which the only portion of the plate which firmly bears on the grooves is the brush portion which tends to clean the grooves immediately ahead of the needle, whereby dust and dirt will be removed therefrom to eliminate by the presence of the dust in the grooves.

The invention, further, contemplates the formation and molding of the plate with reenforcing or stiffening construction on both sides of the cam slot and the needle bearing surface disposed therein; so that the needle bearing surface, although preferably formed of the same material of which the plate is made and integral therewith, is, nevertheless, relatively flexible compared to the other p'o'rtions of the'plate; whereby when the needle bears on this eel-ace it willitend to be doreseed'and the iinde'rsitle' of this surface is provided with some friction material; such as felt er plush, to temporarily bear against the rctir d and insiire' the prtiper' friction between the late and the record.

The invention-else includes the preview of pluralityof holes in the central hub of the flat plate whei'ehythese may as desired be disposed over the rotary pin of the pheiiogr'ap'h to adapt the plate for different- 1y sized records I I p p A further feature of the invention ref lattes" to the c ombiiiation of the cleaning,

brush with the adjustahle needle bar where by the" when of'thefj'eeord to be played before the plate is released to repeat can be adjusted as desired.

In ap llying these ideas in a practical way, I have developed the form shown in Fi 1; Qaiid 3, and this comprises a curved 7 is a surface 4 which is preferably made of" ith; 1' name de ressed pea-was such as 2 formed therein to strehgthen the' plate,

This pilate is preferably pressed oi 'mold'ed into groove isbroade's't, a; a near the end of the plate in liii with the. outermost groove of the record on which plate is disposed. At this; point the groove narrow, being scarcely wider than the ehdofthe needle running th're iifi. Disposed iii the lat ter portion of the groove, and adaptedto receive the needle as it travels in the groove,

th' ecsarne material of which the; plate is made and may heifofm'ed integrally therewith; This surface 4, because theplate (at either side thereof has been reinforced in the manner above described, is relatively flexible compared to these other portions of the plate. The under side of this ciii'ved tap'ered surface 4 pr'ovided' with a b'a cl iing 5 at gimme sh pe and of any: suitable material, such as felt, whereby the proper friction is produced betweeii the plate and Hermie. Ordinarily, however, as Shawn in 6, the felt5 is not directly in contact with the ecord, During the normal disposition of the plate on the record, while the needle is nave-11mg: (we? the oiiehiiast groove to the pointwhe'ie. it hecomes'teifiiioraril disengaged from the plate, the plate ape am is pr'oyided with a 'mirveacafn groove 3 tending' rbm thepqintnear' are: came-a1 portion'of th'p'late, where the;

is supported andbears on the record at three points. The first two (if these points, 6 and 7, are. formed as dependent projections out of the material: of;, the plate by suitably stamped portions. These dependent projecting bearingportions Gand-T, it will be noted. are formed along the edge of the plate and will hear on those portions of the record along the margin which have no grooves thereon,- s'o'thatthe weight of the plate is bother)? those parts'of the record which can well a 0rd to receive pressure without in any of the grooves. Another bea'ri r'ig point, 8, is a felt stirfac'e formed on the lower side o'ftheplate 9 sliding within a dove-tailed slot 10-111 the broad end 11 of the" plate-1', as seenparticularl'y inFigs'; 1, 3 and 5. This mates, which is preferably made of some light'material such as altiniiniim, can slide back and forth in theslot 16 and has apointed end 12' (see Fig'i'l) adapted to beadjusted with respect to itsra'dial disjta nce' fi'om thejceiiter of the record. The fdrwaea-ag-eef thebroa'tl e'nd of the plate is gradually curved, as shown at 13 Fig. 1, so that as the needle travels in the" groove on the record this edge of the plate bears thereei 'iiiiist" an d the nee'd'le"gratli1ally' ihoves along the si'iiohth' curved edge13 until it bears again t the edge 12 r the pl'fteQ; hen it r'eachee the end ofthis plate' and 1 becomes disengagedtherefrom, the natural friction between the plate and the record causes: the plate to move and rotate, whereby the needle will enter the broad end of the groovefi'and e'ncouht r tim surfacea, which isfleXible foi-jtliereason's above referred to; The stiiface of fe l toi otherniateria'l formed 'on the lower side of the plate Sis intended to' 'ac't not as'rhu'ch as a bearing surface as it i's'iri'teritledtd a'ct'as' a brush moviiig in frht of tlie needle to clean-the grooves so that the fieetlle willnot eii'cou'nter dust, dirt andghit which cause discordant noises to be prodiic'edI As theiheedle bearing the weight of'the tone arm of the phonograph bears on the surface l it' will slightly depress the Sttlfi, forciii'g 'the flat portion or surface 5 down on the rfecord miner-ease the friction between the plate and the record, whereby the positive movement of the platewith the record, in spite of the weight'of the needle and the tone arm, will be properly insured. I

outer edge thereof by the short sharp cam slot, there may be a tendency for the needle to jump off the record or to jump from one groove to another, and this tendency is absolutely prevented by reason of the fact that the needle, after leaving the narrow end of the groove 3, contacts with the edge 3 which guides it into the proper groove and maintains contact with it long enough to insure that the needle will not have any additional lateral movement.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I have provided a centrally depressed portion 14 also bearing on the record and provided with two apertures 15 and 16. This depressed portion 1 1 is centrally located on the record and bears on that portion generally carrying the label and not provided with grooves, so that this depressed portion 14 really is the third main bearing surface for the plate, the fourth being the incidental bearing of the brush portion above mentioned. The aperture 16 is placed over the pin of the phonograph table when a large record, such as a 12-inch record, is to be used; but when a small record, such as a 10-inch record, is to be used the hole 15 is placed over the pin 17 of the table.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a light-weight plate bearing normally with as little friction as is necessary 011 those parts of the record which are not provided with phonographic grooves, whereby the speed of rotation of the table is affected as little as possible and yet which is provided with means affected by the movement and weight of the needle to increase the friction at the proper moment and insure rotation of the plate. I have, furthermore, provided a plate which is adapted to be used with different sizes of records. In Fig. 8 I have shown a modified form of plate in which only one hole 18 is used. This plate is smaller than the one previously mentioned and is adapted to be used in connection with very small records, such as are sold for a relatively small amount of money.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A repeating device for phonographs, which comprises a plate having a curved tapered groove therein, a portion of said groove being closed by material flexible relative to the remaining material of the plate, said material being adapted to receive the needle and be depressed thereby during the travel of the needle thereover.

2. A repeating device for phonographs, which comprises a plate having a curved tapered groove therein, a portion of said groove being closed by material flexible relative to the remaining material of the plate, said material being adapted to receive the needle and be depressed thereby during the travel of the needle thereover, and a layer of material disposed on the underside of said surface to be depressed by the needle and increase the friction between the plate and the record. 1

3. A repeating device for phonographs, which includes a plate to be disposed on the record, said plate having three bearing points formed dependently to provide the only normal points of contact between the plate and the record and, a tapered groove, and a sheet of material in the latter portion of said roove flexible relative to the remainingmaterial of the plate, said sheet of mater ai being adapted to bear the weight of the sound box assembly and be depressed thereby toward the record whereby the friction between the plate and the record is increased.

4. A repeating device for phonographs, which includes a plate to be disposed on the record, said plate having three bearing points formed dependently to provide the only normal points of contact between the plate and the record, and a tapered groove,

a sheet of material in the latter portion of said groove flexible relative to the remaining material of the plate, said sheet of ma terial being adapted to bear the weight of the sound box assembly and be depressed thereby toward the record whereby the friction between the plate and the record is increased, and a layer of friction material on the underside of said sheet of material.

5. A repeater device for phonographs, which includes a plate having a curved cam slot therein, and a needle bearing surface formed across a portion of said slot, the plate on both sides and around said needle bearing surface being stiffened or reinforced so that the needle bearing surface is relatively flexible and is depressed when the weight of the needle and the tone arm are resting thereon.

SIDNEY M. BOOKMAN. 

